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Doug,

I agree with you. You could see that taking food, drinks and diapers would be considered survival.

Taking TV's, jewelry, etc. is just plain stealing.

In the end, as their governor has stated, what can they do with all this stuff? Where will they go? It seems to be a moot point, if the flood waters continue to rise and they can't get out.

If they can get out, are the rescuers going to be lifting their stolen TV's out with them? I don't think so. Now they could maybe wear the jewelry but who could they sell it too? No pawn shops left, no money on other displaced people, other people in shelters could just resteal it, or someone with a gun might shoot them for it. What a mess.

Here's a question: if looting is okay given the situation, wouldn't it also be appropriate for store owners to defend their property with force?

It's a madhouse down there.
The initial looting just illustrates how many people will steal when they think they can get away with it. And I mean stealing for the sake of stealing, to use or sell the stuff, or trade for drugs, etc.
That said, now the situation has deteriorated beyond anything this country has ever seen in a major metropolitan area. Rules do not apply any more, tens of thousands of people are locked in a struggle for their very existence, their very lives.
I would not be surprised at any behavior that happens in the next days or weeks. It will be difficult to judge those folks down there by normal standards, as we've never seen conditions like this before.
It is a sad, sad scene; something far beyond the capabilities of governments or organizations to control or direct or relieve.
In the end, for many it will be survival of the fittest; an "every man for himself" situation.

JayCee, I think you're right.

Good question, Bruce. I would hope the owner or manager of a grocery store, would let people take what they need and put in an insurance claim to cover his losses.

Normal business is out. Many people probably have little cash, no access to banks, no paychecks. Businesses aren't operating without power, water, etc. Most business owners are gone. You could try to secure nonperishable items as best you can; otherwise, open the doors.

If you want to raise ethical questions about what's happening down there, this lady raises a good one, albeit not in language that will be to everyone's taste.

Bruce,

Of course someone has the right to defend their own property. This is protected in the constitution. But what good is it going to do to stay their with a gun and protect one's property when in a day the water might be 15 feet high and you should have evacuated? Or some looters come with more guns - that is what they have been stealing also. When in the end, flood water could damage it and it would be covered by insurance anyway if you survive to collect it.

Doug is correct; it is not business as normal.

In the end what good do the unnecessary "things" serve anyone if you get washed away with your stolen merchandise.

One thing I do not understand and it bothered me watching cable news today. There were people on that ramp in New Orleans for two days with no food nor water in and sitting their in 90 degree weather - old people, children and babies.

Why could they not have at least brought in bottled water by helicopters?.....a basic need to take care of dehydration.

When our close friend was Captain of the Montpelier Submarine, they participated in the first strike on Iraq. When you are out to sea and come in, it is tradition that the crew gets a few beers. Since they would be deployed for longer than expected, an Italian ship that they were accompanying dropped beer to them by helicoptor as a gift. They came out of the hatch covered with jellyfish to collect their gift along with an Italian cooked meal.

Now if beer and an Italian dinner can be dropped from the sky, why couldn't helicopters have dropped some water to these folks?

To me, this would have been a first basic need.

It's never appropriate to protect your property with deadly force. No one's life should be taken over property. Deadly force should only be used to protect life. Property can be replaced.
Barbara Ann, I think all of the helicopters were pretty busy saving lives as a first priority. Instead of taking water to stranded citizens, they were picking up the citizens and delivering them to water, food, and medical help.
In the days and months to come, we'll see a lot of "coulda, shoulda, woulda" diatribes. But no community or government agency or state can ever be prepared for unseen consequences of this magnitude.
I hope people all across our country will learn from this disaster that things like this can happen anytime, anywhere, and we all need to be prepared for dire circumstances. Make a plan, have some resources in mind for a "what if" situation, and pay attention to what's going around you.

Lex, the writer made some good points and then got to dabblin in politics that she appears not old enough to understand. I believe she is putting too much on what the Picyune and a couple of papers said about not being funding for the levy's It is just politics as usual as far as that goes Lex. I can tell you for certain that the levy's were in trouble in 1969. N.O. knew it. The state knew it and the Corp of Engineers knew it and nothing was done then to remedy the situation with the exception of replacing some pumps and adding a few others. The levy went on sinking and no one bothered to even dump a truck load of dirt on top of it then. I know, Lex, I lived there, worked there and saw what was going on. It is going to be easy to blame Bush, the war and eveything else in the world for the levy breaking and spilling over, but the facts remain, the problem existed in1969 and continued to go on the back burner. It's too late to blame anyone but the leaders of that state and city can say the enemy is here and it are us.

Now none of that had a dang thing to do with looting even though one paragraph of the linked writers piece did. On what she wrote there I can agree. If the folks are taking food, water, or some liquid to drink other than booze, TP, diapers and some dry socks or drawers then so be it. It's all underwater, and looks as if it's going to be going deeper underwater.
As far as the idiots who are stealing guns and shooting at the cops, the blow the idiots away and save everyone a lot of trouble later on when they are trying to steal from those who can not protect themselves. Those folks are the sludge off the bottom of the canals and belong back at the bottom from whence they came.

Jaycee,

You are right. Hindsight is "20/20". I watched the news some today; same ramp; a man lying their dead and covered up.

I just really had a problem wondering about a bringing in a basic like water. And you are right; they had to get people off the roofs too. What do you do first? We could have other cases of people dying because they don't have their insulin or other meds.

Property can indeed be replaced and what good will it be to anyone anyway there in the end. I bet the people in the dome would trade it in a minute for a hot shower, a good meal, some water and some A/C.

I have no problem with the people taking what they need for survial. Most of us would do the same thing.The people taking guns and breaking into ATM machines is a different story. As for letting the insurance co. pay, where do they get their money????????? MS I to spend a lot of time in this area. (EVERYONE KNEW THIS WAS COMING)if there is to be blame coming, it should be spread far and wide.My prayers and money go out to these people.

Doug,

Great questions and other points. I heard on the news that many of these people who lost everything have no insurance. Most are very poor.

What is upsetting to watch and truly INSANE is some people were shooting at the helicopters who were bringing in relief for them at the dome. How crazy is that? A helicoptor was also trying to land at the Children's Hospital to bring those people supplies; the pilot could not land because he was mobbed by people. Incidently, the medical personnel who stayed behind to take care of those infants and risked their own safety are truly heros.

The news has reported that gangs have take over in parts of the astrodome. It is truly out of control.

Ditto on the prayers and money.

Meant to say taken over parts of the "superdome" - watching too much news lately - back and forth to Texas and New Orleans

LEX RAPE MURDER, BURNING THE TOWN DOWN.ZERO TOLERANCE? From what I just heard on tv,when asked why nothing was being done to stop this. I quote (WE HAVE OUR MARCHING ORDERS) in english that maens the ACLU and the liberal press is ready to stomp anyone that touches these hoodlums.

Um, Doug, I don't know what phantom liberal press you've been reading, but every liberal writer or commentator, and many conservatives, that I've seen have complained about how woefully inadequate the federal response has been in providing security and help to the victims. And are you implying that FEMA and the National Guard get their marching orders from the ACLU? That's about as likely as George Bush taking his marching orders from Ted Kennedy.

Doug, it had little or nothing to do with the ACLU in this case. The Marching Orders as you refered too as being spoken by the police chief etc were given by the Mayor if you will recall. I mean just how politically expedient would it be for him to have to answer to his voters, it they ever get to vote again, as to why he had his police arrest and shoot looters.